When I “give myself grace,” I turn within to my own broken cisterns of self-love and finite ability to satiate my thirst.

Though the call to repentance can feel like a painful providence, it’s truly a gracious gift.

. . . but God knew I needed.

Right before the Israelites were to enter the land of promise, Moses reminded the Israelites to keep their souls diligently, lest they “forget the things that your eyes have seen.” This same admonition applies to Christians.

While beating us up for how awful we believe we are, self-hate also whispers to us that if we tried just a smidge harder, we could find the strength to obey on our own. But we can’t.

As one theologian has said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.”